An internet web site www.presa.ge journalist met Irakli Alasania and interviewed about the meeting between the leaders of law enforcement bodies, the Public Defender of Georgia and the opposition and about his (Irakli Alasania’s) plans for the future.

The control at customs has been tightened since June 18, 2009. The Ministry of Finance has changed According to the new rules taxation rules have changed. The tax limit has decreased from 1 000 GEL to 500 GEL for the personal belongings. This means that if a person is importing the personal belongings cost more than more than 500 GEL he/she has to pay the tax which is 13 % of the items price. The customs officers are checking the luggage and if one forgets to include even one thing into the customs declaration he might face at least 1000 GEL fine.

The Georgian society does not know why Levan Kubaneishvili left the position of Director-General of the Georgian Public Broadcastin.[the “GPB”]. The GPB has a new Director-General now –Giorgi Chanturia. He received 5 votes from the Board of Trustees in a secret voting. Giorgi Kacharava and Zviad Koridze, two other candidates for the position, did not receive any votes. We have interviewed Zviad Koridze about the elections:

On August 10, 2009 Armenian Union Ierkir publicized a press release which states that the Government of Georgia is planning to elimnate Vahagn Chakhalyan, a leader of NGO Jdemm and an Armenian political activitst in Samtskhe- Javakheti. Ierkir claims that he was transported from Gldani Prison # 8 to Rustavi Colony # 2 because possible provocations for his elimination can be organized in a more convenient environment there.

Breast, throat and skin cancer; general signs of intoxication; hepatocirrhosis– these are only several of the diseases from which many inhabitants of the villages of Ninotsminda and Tskarostavi, Sagarejo District. suffer after an oil pipeline burst in the villages. After an accident on the bore-well of Kanargo-Georgia hundreds of hectares of forest were destroyed and the water and soil were polluted. The resulting injuries to healtt are very serious. The death rate has increased substantially. Even though the situation is extremely difficult the oil company claims that the accident did not cause the extremely negative consequences.

A year ago, Georgia was the place where for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russian troops marched into an independent country. They demonstrated to the world that Russia had recovered power and the will to exert it. And for a few days, the world was wondering where the Russian army would stop.

Readers more familiar with developments in Georgia might feel that the Aug. 6 op-ed by President Mikheil Saakashvili ["Georgia, on the Rebound"] was a case of yet again saying one thing in the West, while doing the opposite at home.

Ilya Martkoplishvili, the editor-in-chief of internet newspaper Kiziki accuses Soso Benashvili, the representative of the Kakheti Division of the Constitutional Security Department [“CSD”]within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of intimidation of Tamila Gurashvili, a journalist of his newspaper. Martkoplishvili claims that Soso Benashvili went to Tamila Gurashvili’s home several times and threatened that if she did not stop criticizing the Dedoplistkaro ditrict government her child would face some problems.